squab

/ˈskwɒb/

//ˈskwɒb// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"squab" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“squab” is uncommon English (frequency #98,746 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#98,746
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A fledgling (young) bird.

Corpus desk

Index EN-squab · squab · English

squab · rank #98,746 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #98,746
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH stabby

Nearest frequency peer: stabby (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “squab”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “squab” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for squab
PropertyValue
Headwordsquab
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈskwɒb/
Letters5
Frequency rank#98,746
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “squab” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).squabfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “stabby” (#98,747), “spherically” (#98,744), “Standley” (#98,748). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “squab” is #98,746. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

squab is uncommon English at frequency #98,746 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈskwɒb/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for squab, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Unknown. Possibly related to dialectal Swedish skvabb (“fatty, flabby”). First attested in the 17th century. The correct English form is squab, spelled S-Q-U-A-B.

Definition

  1. 1
    A fledgling (young) bird.
  2. 2
    A fledgling (young) bird.
  3. 3
    A fledgling (young) bird.
  4. 4
    The meat of young dove or pigeon, typically under four weeks old, used as food.
  5. 5
    A thick cushion, especially a flat one covering the seat of a chair or sofa.
  6. 6
    A person of a short, fat figure.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how squab appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Squab may be consumed by ripping the bird apart with your hands and sucking the meat from the bones.
  2. a. 1744, Alexander Pope (imitating Earl of Dorset), Artemisia, 1795, Robert Anderson (editor), A Complete Edition of the Poets of Great Britain, page 86, On her large ſquab you find her ſpread, / Like a fat corpſe upon a bed, / That lies and ſtinks in ſtate.

Etymology

Unknown. Possibly related to dialectal Swedish skvabb (“fatty, flabby”). First attested in the 17th century.

This word in other languages

pichón(Español)pigeonneau(Français)Täubchen(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "squab"?
"squab" is spelled S-Q-U-A-B. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈskwɒb/.
What does "squab" mean?
As a noun, "squab" means: A fledgling (young) bird.
How do you pronounce "squab"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "squab" is /ˈskwɒb/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "squab"?
Unknown. Possibly related to dialectal Swedish skvabb (“fatty, flabby”). First attested in the 17th century. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "squab", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Sokal#98,739sofer#98,735Storr#98,757snoke#98,732

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list